Proposals to levy fines against owners of vehicles that do not comply with emissions standards could badly hit owners of classic cars, an insurance firm has claimed.
In a new consultation, the UK Department for Transport (DfT) has proposed that vehicles must meet the exact emissions standards and emissions-control requirements that applied when they were manufactured and first registered.
The rules will also make it illegal to remove, bypass, or alter key emissions control components, regardless of whether the vehicle still passes a real-world emissions test. If vehicles are classed as non-compliant, owners could be subjected to fines.
Footman James, an insurer that specialises in insuring classic cars, has warned that while these rules are intended to target deliberate cheats, they create a legal trap for “modern classic” vehicles.
Typically, manufacturers are only expected to produce spare parts for roughly 10 years after production ends, which means that discontinued parts leave owners...